"Alright... alright. I agree."
Lockhart deliberately hesitated before nodding.
To Hermione, it looked like he was reluctantly accepting a difficult compromise.
In reality, he had no choice.
Under the effects of Liam's domination magic, even if Liam ordered him to hand over every Knut he owned, Lockhart would struggle to resist.
Compared to that, giving away half of his royalties was nothing.
As long as he avoided Azkaban and kept his reputation intact, he could always earn more money later.
"That isn't enough," Liam said calmly.
Both Hermione and Lockhart looked at him.
"From now on, you'll keep records of every payment."
Lockhart immediately understood.
"Records?"
"Remittance receipts."
Liam nodded.
"Hermione can occasionally verify them through Gringotts."
"That way, you'll have proof that the money is actually reaching the victims."
Hermione's eyes immediately brightened.
"That's perfect!"
She hadn't considered that possibility.
Without proof, Lockhart could secretly reduce payments or stop sending money entirely.
This solved that problem.
As expected.
Liam was incredibly clever.
Lockhart, meanwhile, looked as though someone had stabbed him.
"Of course," he said weakly.
"I'll keep every receipt."
"Excellent."
Hermione finally smiled.
For the first time since discovering Lockhart's crimes, she felt genuinely satisfied with the outcome.
"Then let's try to get along from now on, Professor Lockhart."
"Y-yes..."
Lockhart nodded pitifully.
The look Hermione gave him afterward was full of disappointment.
She still couldn't believe that the hero she had once admired so much was actually a cowardly fraud.
Compared to Lockhart...
Liam seemed superior in every possible way.
More intelligent.
More capable.
More knowledgeable.
More reliable.
The difference was almost embarrassing.
After leaving the office, Hermione walked beside Liam through the castle corridors.
Suddenly she remembered something.
"Oh!"
Liam glanced at her.
"What is it?"
"You mentioned magical theory before."
Hermione's eyes lit up.
"I spent some time studying it, but there are parts I don't understand."
She looked hopeful.
"Could you explain them to me?"
"Of course."
Liam agreed immediately.
A short while later, they settled onto a bench in the central courtyard.
For nearly an hour, Liam patiently explained various concepts regarding spell modification and magical structure.
Hermione listened with complete concentration.
Every explanation seemed to open another door.
The more she learned, the more fascinated she became.
...
Unfortunately, not everyone shared her enthusiasm.
That evening, when Hermione returned to the Gryffindor girls' dormitory, she heard whispers from several beds nearby.
"She's a traitor."
"She spends all her time with Slytherins."
"I saw her yesterday."
"Why was someone like her sorted into Gryffindor?"
"Honestly, she belongs in Slytherin."
"Always showing off."
"She acts like she knows everything."
"It's annoying."
Hermione stopped walking.
The words struck harder than she wanted to admit.
For several seconds, she stood silently.
Then something snapped.
She turned around.
"You're all being ridiculous!"
Every girl in the dormitory looked toward her.
"The founders of Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff were friends!"
Hermione's voice rose.
"There's nothing wrong with students from different Houses being friends!"
"You're all so narrow-minded!"
The room fell silent.
For a brief moment, Hermione hoped someone might respond.
Explain themselves.
Argue.
Anything.
Instead, the other girls simply turned away.
One by one.
Without a word.
Ignoring her completely.
The silence hurt far more than an argument would have.
Eventually Hermione climbed into bed.
She pulled the blankets over herself and stared at the ceiling.
Her chest felt tight.
Yet despite everything, a small smile eventually appeared.
Tomorrow she would see Liam again.
That thought alone made her feel better.
She didn't need approval from people who refused to understand her.
At least...
That's what she kept telling herself.
...
Meanwhile, Liam was leaving the Hogwarts library carrying a book from the Restricted Section.
Since Dumbledore had granted him permission to access those shelves, he had no intention of wasting the opportunity.
Whether he discovered the secret behind Voldemort's immortality or not was secondary.
Simply mastering a dozen additional Dark or forbidden spells would already be worthwhile.
Ancient forbidden magic often surpassed ordinary magical theory entirely.
Every book represented a treasure trove of knowledge.
As he walked through a quiet corridor, something suddenly caught his attention.
A large mirror stood against the wall.
Liam stopped.
The ornate frame was covered in strange runes.
At first glance they appeared meaningless.
But reading them backward revealed a hidden message.
I show not your face but your heart's desire.
Liam immediately recognized it.
The Mirror of Erised.
What interested him wasn't the inscription.
It was the magic.
Powerful enchantments radiated from every inch of the artifact.
Illusion magic.
Mental magic.
Spatial distortions.
Mirror enchantments.
Dozens of layered magical systems intertwined together.
It was one of the most sophisticated magical objects Liam had ever encountered.
He studied it quietly.
Then his eyes narrowed.
Inside the mirror's reflection, he noticed something familiar.
A small red stone.
Irregular.
Translucent.
Glowing faintly with magical energy.
Liam's expression froze.
Because he had something remarkably similar sitting inside his pocket.
The fake Philosopher's Stone Borgin had sold him.
For several seconds, Liam simply stared.
Then he slowly smiled.
Surely not.
Could his luck really be that absurd?
He had purchased a counterfeit stone while planning to eventually locate the real one.
And now the genuine article was practically sitting in front of him.
The temptation was overwhelming.
Still, Liam remained calm.
He turned around.
Walked away.
And disappeared around the corner.
Several minutes later, he entered a boys' bathroom.
There, he cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself.
Only then did he return.
Invisible.
Silent.
Careful.
The Mirror of Erised remained exactly where he had left it.
Liam approached calmly.
From his pocket, he removed Borgin's counterfeit stone.
Then, with a speed that would have impressed any professional thief, he exchanged it for the real Philosopher's Stone hidden within the mirror.
The entire process took only moments.
Afterward, he immediately left.
No hesitation.
No celebration.
No unnecessary risks.
He returned to the bathroom, removed the Disillusionment Charm, and resumed carrying his Restricted Section book.
To any observer, he appeared to be an ordinary student returning to his dormitory.
Which was exactly the point.
Even if magical surveillance existed nearby, any recordings would show only a curious student glancing at a mirror before leaving.
Nothing suspicious.
Nothing incriminating.
No evidence whatsoever.
By the time Liam arrived back at the Slytherin common room, the genuine Philosopher's Stone rested safely inside his pocket.
And somewhere in Hogwarts, a fake stone sat quietly in its place, waiting for someone else to discover the difference.
....
Join my P*atreon for 100 premium chapters ahead of the public release.
Link: pa*treon.com/MysticVerse (Remove the *)
Free members also get 2 advanced chapters for free.